Month: May 2017

If you have been following the Daylight Explorers for a few years you will know that we are big fans of the 30 Days Wild initiative led by the Wildlife Trust. As someone who craves a regular wander around the woods or gets excited to see a ladybird land nearby I can’t help but love another reason to get outside. So it is with great delight I signed up for this year’s 30 Days Wild. For those of you who are new to 30 Days Wild here is a very quick overview!

“Make room for nature this June – no matter where you are or how busy your life! When you sign up to the challenge, we’ll send you a pack full of ideas, encouragement and Random Acts of Wildness…
What is a Random Act of Wildness?

A Random Act of Wildness is anything that you can do in an average working day to bring a little nature into your life. They can take a few seconds, a few minutes, or if you lose yourself completely, a few hours!”

Over recent weeks I have been very excited to hear about Letterbox Lab, a fab new subscription box for kids to get them enthused about Science! Today I am lucky enough to share an interview with the folks behind Letterbox Lab and if you come back later in the week I will be sharing the contents of the first box I have received from them. Excited? Yes! But for now let’s find out a little bit more about Letterbox Lab!

How did Letterbox Lab begin and why?

When Bryan and I got married we decided to jet off and see some more of the world. We used our experience working in science centres to offer training and consultancy in the Czech Republic and Norway, then spent a few months as teachers for the children of an indigenous tribe in Malaysia. We had a lot of time to think during our nine months abroad, mostly about the various challenges that prevent families from engaging with science such as accessibility of information and equipment, cost and perceived lack of convenience. We used whatever equipment we could find in our tiny village to run engaging science lessons in Malaysia, and realised that we had the skills to make science accessible to pretty much anyone, regardless of their background or facilities. We came home and dreamed up Letterbox Lab – the ultimate way to make the most fun and engaging science easy to play with, for anyone!

What got you into Science?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t like science – I was always fiddling about with experiments and projects as a child. The only thing holding me back from science when I was in secondary school was the notion that it wasn’t a creative subject – I’ve always been quite artistic and theatrical and didn’t want to do something purely logical. I had a very inspiring physics teacher for my GCSEs who helped me realise that science is actually a highly creative endeavour that requires huge dollops of imagination. That realisation was what swung the scale for me, and I’ve never looked back!

What is your favourite piece of science equipment?

Difficult one! It depends what you’re trying to find out. I love space, so telescopes are high on my list – they give us the most fantastic images from incredible distances. On the other end of the scale but a similar vein, the images you get from microscopes – even quite weak ones – are stunning and reveal so many secrets about nature.

Who are you inspired by in Science?

People who inspire me with anything are those who can talk about their subject with passion and conviction. David Attenborough, and the bigwigs of science communication in the US – Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye and Steve Spangler among others – have always been inspirations to me because enthusiasm oozes straight out of them. They draw you in and make you care about things you might never have even thought about before.

What advice do you have for any kids wanting to get into science?

Always relish the times you are wrong and take pleasure in not knowing things. These are the times when we make the most exciting discoveries! The greatest scientists in history were confident voicing ideas that at the time were completely against common thinking, and today they are celebrated for it. Don’t be afraid to be wrong, be prepared to learn from the times when you are wrong, and question everything.

Thank you so much to Mia for answering these questions for the Daylight Explorers! Come back soon for details about my box.

Kelly

Disclaimer- I purchased my box with my own money and all comments and views are my own!